wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 14 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time.

wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article has over 194,090 views and 100% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status.
Learn more...

Who doesn't love succulent lobster meat served with butter and lemon? It's one of the world's culinary delights, but being served a whole lobster can be intimidating. Read on for information on how to prepare to eat lobster and dig every last juicy morsel from the claws, tail, body and legs.

Steps

Method1

Choosing a Lobster

1

Decide between a hard shell or a "shedder." If you go to a restaurant that offers you the chance to choose your own lobster, you may be asked whether you want a hard shelled lobster or one that has recently shedded.

Hard shell lobsters have matured enough that their shells are a little tough to break. The meat inside is firm and flavorful.

Shedders have softer shells, since they have recently moulted. Soft-shelled lobster are much easier to get through. However, they usually aren't as "full" and consequently have less meat.

2

Choose between a male and a female. If you like tail meat, choose a female lobster, since the females' tails are larger to accommodate the transportation of eggs.

3

Choose one that looks healthy and lively. Now's not the time to go for the runt of the litter, or the underdog - choose a lobster that twitches its antennae and moves around inside the tank. Its color should be bright (though not red - that happens after it's cooked) and its eyes should be shiny.

Avoid lobsters that look lethargic or sickly. Lobsters with visible shell damage or cloudy eyes might be contaminated. Lobsters with tails that are curled under are likely already dead, so avoid them.

Method2

Preparing to Eat Lobster

1

Dress appropriately. Lobster are often served in fine restaurants, but the experience of eating them can get a little messy. Small bits of lobster may fling from your fork as you eat, and you may get drops of butter on your clothing. Bibs are often provided, but you might want to wear something that isn't easily stained just in case.

2

Be prepared to use your hands. It's very difficult to eat lobster without handling the various parts. Expect to touch the lobster's shell, legs, claws, tail, and insides with your fingers. By the end of the meal, you'll be quite familiar with lobster anatomy.

3

Know the tools. Lobster is served with the following equipment, used to make the experience of eating it a little easier:

A lobster cracker, which is similar to a nutcracker. Without this, you'd have trouble getting through the lobster's tough shell to reach the meat inside.

A lobster fork, or lobster pick, which is a tiny metal fork used to dig into the lobster's crevices for meat.

A bone dish, used as a receptacle for lobster shells.

Hand wipes are often dispensed after the meal, so you can wipe the lobster juices from your fingers.

4

Eat it as you go, or dismantle it first. Some people like to eat the lobster part by part, eating the meat from each piece as it is detached from the body. Others prefer to dismantle the entire lobster and enjoy the meat all at once, after the work is out of the way. The choice is yours - both are equally acceptable, etiquette-wise.

Method3

Eating Lobster

1

Twist off the claws. Pull each claw down and away from the body to remove it. Twist at the base of each claw, so you're left with two lobster "arms" with claws attached.

Eat the arm meat. Use a lobster fork to dig out the meat from the arms. There's not much, but it's worth digging it out.

Remove the thumb off the claws, breaking the claws at the joint. You'll see meat inside the thumb section. Use your lobster fork or pick to take it out.

Use the lobster cracker to crack the larger part of the claws then use the lobster fork to remove it. The claw meat may be hefty enough to cut into smaller pieces using a knife.

Discard pieces of shell and cartilage in the dish provided.

2

Pull the legs off the lobster. It is easy to simply suck the meat out of the legs. Some people don't bother as a lobster has skinnier legs than a size zero model and considerably more of them.

3

Separate the tail from the body. Crack the tail open and using your fork or pick, remove the meat from the tail in one piece. Twist the "flippers" from the tail and pull out the small morsels of meat inside. Find and discard the large black vein in the tail meat as this is the bowel and not highly prized.

4

Cut incisions in the underside of the body. Pull the shell of the main body open, and pick out any pieces of white meat that you can find.

5

Eat the tomalley. This is the lobster's liver, avoided by some but loved by diehard lobster fans. It's a gray substance found in the body of the lobster among the innards.

6

Find the coral. If you have a female lobster, you may see red eggs, or roe, inside the body. These are edible, but not the most delicious part of the lobster.

Should meat from cooked lobster be removed right away? I'm planning on using it for lobster salad the next day.

wikiHow Contributor

Community Answer

The meat can be left in the shell and put in the fridge for later use. (Use within three days if the cooked lobster meat is left in the shell.) In my experience, though, the meat is easier to remove when the lobster is still warm.

The 'green parts' are actually the lobster's tomalley, which is essentially the liver and pancreas. Many people, especially from New England, consider it a delicacy, and eat it along with the rest of the lobster. However, because the tomalley serves as the lobster's liver, there is the possibility of some toxins being present. Use your own judgement.

References

If you want to eat lobster, pull each claw down and away from the body to remove it. Break the claws at the joint, then use a lobster fork to remove the meat from the arms and thumb joints. Use a lobster cracker to crack the larger part of the claws and remove the meat as well. Next, separate the tail from the body, then crack the tail open and remove the meat in one piece. Find and remove the black vein in the tail before you eat it. For tips on choosing the perfect lobster, keep reading!

Did this summary help you?

Made Recently

Article Info

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 14 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time.

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 194,090 times.

Did this article help you?

Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy.

100% of readers found this article helpful.

14 votes - 100%

Click a star to add your vote

100% of people told us that this article helped them.

Co-authors: 14

Updated:

Views: 194,090

DV

Duane Vander Plas

Feb 24, 2018

"I've had lobster tails the way the restaurants served them. Wanted to know the rest of the details; figuring the restaurant used the rest of the meat to make other dishes. Very interesting, including the cook times!"..." more

LJ

Lisa John

Jun 25, 2017

"Very easy to follow steps on eating the various parts and how to remove them."